Before and after satellite imagery showcases extensive Hurricane Melissa destruction in Jamaica

Stunning scenes of destruction in northwestern Jamaica in wake of Hurricane Melissa

FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray continues his coverage of Hurricane Melissa, back outside today to document and assess the damage left behind by the storm.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – On Oct. 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Jamaica on the island's southwestern coast and proceeded to carve a path of destruction throughout the day that has left parts of the Caribbean island unrecognizable. 

Satellite imagery captured before and after the arrival of the major Category 5 hurricane that packed winds of 185 mph and made landfall as the third-strongest Atlantic Basin hurricane on record. 

On the morning of Oct. 29, Vantor satellite captured imagery of Jamaica that revealed the wide-scale, extensive damage to the western sections of the island in the aftermath of the deadly major hurricane that is tied for the strongest hurricane to make landfall on record.

Before & After videos from various locations in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa. 

(Satellite image ©2025 Vantor / FOX Weather)

Although the extensive destruction is evident in New Hope, the small town was immortalized as the location where the monster Category 5 storm made landfall with hurricane force winds and pressure that has only ever been seen once before on record. The residential town was left disassembled as homes that faced the direct impact of the catastrophic storm are nearly unrecognizable. 

The night and day difference in Montego Bay is apparent due to the excessive flooding the city undertook. The city is one of the nation's top tourist destinations, famed for its shining beaches and scenic views of the ocean. 

Now, gullies running through the city and flowing into the bay overflowed into residential streets as storm surge swallowed properties along the water. Homes, hotels, businesses, shipping ports and stadiums were left destroyed, overtaken by floodwaters. Additionally, the city's airport sustained significant damage.

Just south of where Hurricane Melissa made landfall in New Hope, sits White House, where both a fishing village and a neighborhood were left completely destroyed after Hurricane Melissa, with debris scattered throughout the streets. 

The picturesque Caribbean turquoise ocean water observed in the pre-Melissa provides insight as to why that has solidified Jamaica as a vacation hot spot for millions of tourists each year. 

Heavy rain and storm surge associated with Hurricane Melissa tossed and turned rivers inland that flooded into residential areas and funneled into the ocean, transforming the Caribbean color overnight.

CROCODILES COULD INVADE JAMAICAN NEIGHBORHOODS IN WAKE OF HURRICANE MELISSA FLOODING, OFFICIALS WARN

Black River, the parish capital of Saint Elizabeth, is a coastal town that lies roughly 12 miles southeast of where Hurricane Melissa made landfall. 

Satellite imagery captured before displays a vibrant coastal community with several churches, supermarkets, fish markets and river safari tours. Hurricane Melissa flattened the coastal town, dismantling and razing every major structure photographed before. 

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Oct. 28 was without a doubt a day of destruction in Jamaica, as the nation has already begun picking up the pieces of the island that took on one of the strongest hurricanes to make landfall in recorded history.